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Africa: Rebels seize another town in Somalia

WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.

Original Post Date: 2009-05-19 Time: 13:00:04  Posted By: Jan

By Ibrahim Mohamed

Jowhar, Somalia – Islamist insurgents closed in on Somalia’s coastal capital after seizing another strategic town north of Mogadishu on Monday.

President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed’s forces control only parts of the city and central region after two weeks of fighting. Human rights workers in the Horn of Africa nation say the clashes have killed at least 172 civilians and wounded 528.

Ahmed’s UN-backed administration is the 15th attempt to set up central rule in Somalia, which has been in anarchy for 18 years. Neighbouring states and Western security forces fear the country could become a haven for al-Qaeda-linked extremists.

Hardline al Shabaab rebels seized Jowhar on Sunday and witnesses said hundreds of gunmen from another insurgent group – Hizbul Islam – marched into nearby Mahaday on Monday and took control without firing a shot.
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“We have captured the town peacefully,” Hassan Mahdi, Hizbul Islam’s spokesperson, said by telephone.

There was heavy fighting, however, between the hardline rebels and the more moderate Ahlu Sunna Islamists in the central town of Wahbo, the scene of fierce clashes late last week.

“We attacked al Shabaab in the corner of Wabho and killed 20 including a foreigner,” Sheikh Abdullahi sheikh Abu Yussuf, spokesperson of Ahlu Sunna Waljamaca told Reuters.

Jowhar, 90km from Mogadishu, is Ahmed’s hometown and links the capital to Somalia’s volatile central region. Mahaday is 23km north of Jowhar.

“Masked Islamists are on the streets,” resident Fatima Hussein told Reuters. “They are not speaking to anyone … there was no fighting, the pro-government forces left last night.” – Reuters

Source: http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?art_id=nw20090519050620202C361395